The Parthenon
on the Acropolis in Athens is one of the most famous monuments
in the history of human accomplishments. Its significance is not
due to its basic form, the Doric temple, but to the harmony and
grace of its proprtions.The marble came from about 16 kilometers from Athens. Each block was cut to size and brought from the quarries on carefully controlled sledges along slipways that can still be seen today. They were then transported to Athens in wagons drawn by oxen. Then mules dragged them up the Acropolis. Each column has 10 to 12 drums. The horizontal joints of the drums were divided into four concentric circles. A square plug with a pin in the middle was used to help with centering each drum above the bottom one.
By the 5th century BC the Athenians had become skilled with pulleys, winches and cranes. The blocks for the walls were laid without mortar. The roof was of timber and the pitch of it is what formed the pediment.